Department for Transport

Roads: Plastics

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential problems resulting from the release into the environment of nano and other plastic particles as a consequence of plastic materials being used as part of road surfacing materials.

lord callanan: The use of plastic as a component in road surfacing is not widespread. Officials at the Department for Transport are aware that it has only been used in a small proportion of England’s strategic road network for high friction surfacing materials, and only on one short stretch of public road in England. Therefore, the Government has not made any assessment to date of any potential problems or nano pollution from the use of plastic in roads. Officials have been in discussion with Cumbria County Council who are trialling the use of plastic in their road resurfacing and the company that supplies the material. They will continue to monitor the situation and any outcomes, positive or negative, from the trial currently taking place.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to deferring the introduction of new regulations concerning the MOT testing of older vehicles until they have fully consulted all interested parties on the detail of their proposal.

lord callanan: The Government ran a consultation from 22 September 2016 to 2 November 2016 on its proposal to amend the exemption given to vehicles manufactured before 1960 and received over 2,217 responses. After careful consideration of the responses received, the Government amended the exemption to vehicles manufactured over 40 years of age on a rolling basis, subject to the vehicle not being “substantially changed”. The Government published a modified definition of “substantial change” at the same time as it’s response to the consultation. The Government continues to undertake discussions with stakeholders and the publication of revised guidance on substantial change is planned for later this year, before the regulations come into force on 20 May 2018.

Cycleways: Greater London

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the usage of cycle lanes in the London congestion charge area between the hours of 10am and 4pm during weekdays.

lord callanan: The Government has made no assessment of the usage of cycle lanes in the London congestion charge area.

Cycleways: Greater London

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have provided for the construction and maintenance of cycle lanes in the London congestion charge areas in the last five years.

lord callanan: The Government provides funding to Transport for London (TfL) via the Greater London Authority. It is the responsibility of the Mayor to determine how TfL’s budget should be spent and for him to decide what to prioritise.

Cycleways: Greater London

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the cycle lanes on congestion in London congestion charge areas and the implications for the environment.

lord callanan: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, and it is for him to consider what, if any, assessment is made of the impacts of cycle lanes. The Government has not made any assessment of the impact of the cycle lanes on congestion in London congestion charge areas and the implications for the environment.

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they received any request to lend money to, or invest in, Monarch Airlines, Greybull or any affiliated entity ahead of the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

lord callanan: Monarch started informal discussions with the government immediately prior to its collapse, about a number of potential investments, but did not formally make any request to government before going into administration.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Leasehold

lord kirkhope of harrogate: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will include, within their leasehold review, a review of institutions such as the National Trust and other large property-owning organisations.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s consultation, Tackling Unfair Practices in the Leasehold Market, considered a number of issues within the leasehold sector including the sale of new built leasehold houses, and onerous ground rents. The consultation also sought views on what further areas of leasehold reform should be prioritised and why.The public consultation, which closed on 19 September, received around 6,000 replies. We are carefully analysing the responses, and will issue the Government response in shortly.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessment they have made of their decision to raise social housing rents by the value of Consumer Price Index + 1 per cent from April 2020, and whether they will publish any such impact assessment.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government has announced plans for a long term rent deal for housing associations and councils, in which annual rent increases will be limited to CPI + 1 per cent for 5 years from 2020. This will be reflected in a draft direction from the Secretary of State to the Social Housing Regulator, which the government will consult on next year. An impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Triclocarban and Triclosan

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking action to encourage manufacturers of over-the-counter consumer goods such as soaps, toothpastes, and cosmetics to eliminate triclosan and triclocarbon from their products.

lord prior of brampton: The use of tricolsan and triclocarbon is restricted by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on Cosmetic Products. Manufacturers may only use these preservatives at specified levels and triclosan is only permitted at those levels in a limited range of cosmetic products. Both ingredients have been examined by the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety who considered them to be safe at these restricted levels and usages.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Visas

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Hong Kong Government following their refusal to provide an entry visa to Benedict Rogers, the deputy chair of the UK Conservatives' human rights commission.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 11 October about the denial of entry to Hong Kong to Mr Rogers. This made clear his concern about this development and his intention to seek an urgent explanation from the Hong Kong authorities and the Chinese Government.On 11 October, Director General for Economic and Global Issues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the UK on this issue, and the FCO Head of China Department spoke to the Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London on 12 October. On 12 October, the Minister-Counsellor at the British Embassy in Beijing raised the issue with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao raised the issue with the Chinese MFA Commissioner in Hong Kong on 12 October and the Hong Kong SAR Secretary for Security on 13 October. On 20 October, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, wrote to the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, setting out our position on the issues raised."The British Government believes that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, and its rights and freedoms, are central to its way of life and should be fully respected."

Hong Kong: Police

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have received from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association; and what action, if any,has followed.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received no representations from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association.

Central African Pension Fund

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current deficit in the Central African Pension Fund.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Central African Pension Fund was last officially valued in July 2015 and was £200k in deficit. The next triennial valuation will be July 2018.

Yemen: Military Intervention

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with Saudi Arabia the bombing of civilians in Yemen; and if so, what response they received.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with Saudi Arabia. The UK takes allegations of IHL violations extremely seriously; and we encourage the Saudi-led Coalition to ensure they are thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that lessons will be acted upon. The Saudi-led Coalition has the best insight into its own military procedures and is able to conduct the most thorough and conclusive investigations. The Coalition Joint Incidents Assessment Team has since announced the findings of a total of 36 investigations with the most recent being released on 12 September 2017.

Yemen: Military Intervention

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have held with the government of the US regarding its involvement in the war in Yemen; whether the humanitarian consequences of that war were addressed during those discussions; and what assurances, if any, they have received regarding the US involvement in that war.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We engage regularly with our US partners on a range of issues related to Yemen, including the humanitarian situation. We work closely with them in support of a stable, secure Yemen which poses no threat to regional countries or beyond. The US, together with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, participated in a Ministerial meeting we convened on 22 September in the margins of the UN General Assembly. All participants acknowledged the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and agreed that more must be done to achieve a political solution. The Foreign Secretary raised the situation in Yemen with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson most recently on 9 October. Any further enquiries relating to US policy should be redirected to the US authorities.

Cameroon: Politics and Government

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the political and humanitarian situation in Southern Cameroons; and what action they are taking, (1) bilaterally, (2) multilaterallythrough the UN, (3)through the Commonwealth, and (4) with EU partners, to defuse the tensions threatening the security and stability of that region.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is deeply concerned by reports of deaths and injuries in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, including reports that 17 civilians were killed by the security services and many more injured. The situation appears to have calmed down since 1 October.The Minister for Africa released a statement on 4 October expressing the Government’s deep concern, urging restraint, and calling on all parties to reject violence and to enter into dialogue to find urgent solutions to Anglophone grievances.The High Commissioner in Yaoundé has been following events in the Anglophone regions closely. He has raised the need for dialogue and restraint with the Cameroonian authorities. He met with Prime Minister Philémon Yang on 27 September and 10 October, the Minister of Communication on 9 October, the Minister of Defence, Director General of Intelligence, and the Minister of Higher Education on 10 October, and the Minister of External Relations on 11 October. He also reiterated the United Kingdom’s concerns in television interviews on 9 and 10 October.The situation in Cameroon remains tense, and we urge the Cameroonian Government to accept the United Nations’ offer of help to support dialogue with the Anglophone community.

North Korea: Electronic Warfare

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of cyber threats to, and attacks on, the UK by North Korea; and what assessment they have made of reports that North Korea has opened a second internet connection to the rest of the worldthrough a firm based in Russia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 defines our vision and ambition for a UK that is secure and resilient to cyber threats. This includes the capacity to disrupt and deter those criminals and hostile states who threaten us, and we have increased the scale and development of GCHQ, Ministry of Defence and the National Crime Agency capabilities. The National Cyber Security Centre carries out regular assessments of the major cyber threats to the UK.

British Overseas Territories: Diplomatic Service

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government which governors of British Overseas Territories have their governors' dress uniforms funded by the FCO.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Since 2001 Government policy has been that those Territories wishing to keep their ceremonial uniforms pay for them themselves. Currently the Governors of Bermuda and Falkland Islands retain the uniform, both funded by their respective Territory governments.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the UK team of experts on preventing sexual violence in conflict has been deployed over the last year; to which countries were they deployed; and what was theoutcome in each country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Over the past 12 months, members of the PSVI Team of Experts (ToE) have been deployed 20 times to 10 countries.  Achievements include the training of Malaysian peacekeepers on preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence and sexual exploitation and abuse. This work was praised by the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre and is planned to be repeated in Vietnam. Both countries deploy to peacekeeping missions including Afghanistan and South Sudan. In addition, members of the ToE have supported a joint UN/UK workshop in Bosnia to launch the Principles for Global Action on preventing and addressing stigma associated with conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The team of experts have also trained UK armed forces on preventing and responding to CRSVA scoping mission on capacity to document and investigate CRSV in Daesh–held territory has been completed by a member of the ToE with a view to training Iraqi actors on the use of the International Protocol (IP), on the documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Members of the ToE have also delivered IP training in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Colombia and to Syrian human rights activists based in Turkey. A member of the ToE also co-wrote the revised IP released in March this year.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the UK's goals for the 2019 meeting to review commitments made at the 2014 Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are consulting key stakeholders and donors engaged on preventing sexual violence in conflict, including the UN. We are seeking their views on how best to use the 2019 international meeting to maintain the momentum established at the 2014 Global Summit, assess progress achieved since then, and agree areas for further action. We see the event as a platform to allow the voice of the survivors of sexual violence, their families and communities to be heard and for their needs to be at the centre of any international response. We want to ensure that commitments are delivered, including through using UK-funded tools such as the Principles for Global Action and the International Protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict, through new research, and through a more collaborative approach by the international community.

Press Freedom

baroness miller of chilthorne domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the call by thePresident of France for the creation of a concrete mechanism to enforce international law regarding the protection of journalists.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is committed to the protection of journalists, who are facing increasing risks in the course of their work, including intimidation, harassment and violence. Working closely with our international partners, we will consider all possible options for increasing the protection of journalists, and tackling impunity for those that threaten their safety. This includes the suggestion to appoint a Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the protection of journalists.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much bilateral expenditure was directly targeted by the Department for International Development towardsHIV and AIDS issues in (1) 2015–16, and (2) 2016–17, listed as totals and divided into subgroups (a) HIV/AIDS including sexually transmitted infection prevention, and (b) HIV/AIDS including sexually transmitted infection treatment and care.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much bilateral expenditure was directly targeted by the Department for International Development towards reproductive health in (1) 2015–16, and (2) 2016–17, listed as totals and divided into subgroups (a) Population Policy and Administrative Management, (b) Reproductive Health Care, (c) Maternal and Neonatal Health, (d) Family Planning, and (e) Personnel Development for Population and Reproductive Health.

lord bates: DFID reports data on expenditure against specific sector codes, including all the reproductive health care and HIV/AIDS sub-groups, annually to the OECD. These data for 2015/16 are published and publically available on the Statistics for International Development website: GPEX tables. Data for 2016/17 will be released early in 2018.

Department for Education

Children: Social Services

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish an independent inquiry into variation in access to children's services across England and the consequent impact on outcomes for vulnerable children; and if so, when.

lord agnew of oulton: Under the Children Act 1989, local councils have responsibility to provide services for the purposes of safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. It is important that every local council has clear criteria for taking action and providing help across the full continuum of need. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (and their replacements under new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements) should agree with the local council and their partners what services are to be commissioned and delivered so that the right help is given to children at the right time.The government is supporting best practice, for example, through the dissemination of learning from the £200 million Social Care Innovation Fund, through which we have invested £5 million specifically to test targeted support to improve outcomes for children in need. In future, the new What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care will become the first port of call for evidence and latest research on the impact of government programmes, helping to inform local service design.The government does not have plans to establish its own independent inquiry into children’s social care but we are engaging with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children’s newly announced inquiry into thresholds for children’s social care, a follow up to their ‘No Good Options’ report of March 2017. We will consider the inquiry’s findings in due course.

Schools: Uniforms

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Nash on 19 September (HL1491), when they anticipate a suitable legislative opportunity will arise to put the guidance on school uniform policies on a statutory footing.

lord agnew of oulton: We intend to put the school uniform guidance on a statutory footing when a suitable legislative opportunity arises. No education bill was announced in the most recent Queen’s speech, which set out the proposed legislative programme for this session of Parliament. We therefore anticipate that the next opportunity to consider a suitable slot for this measure will be in the second session of this Parliament.

Faith Schools: Islam

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Nash on 13 September (HL1358 and HL1359), what concerns caused the then Prime Minister in 2015 to consider the need to regulate madrassahs; and how a local authority is to establish whether children may be at risk in such settings if they have no powers of entry or intervention in such establishments.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many madrassahs there are in England; (2) how many hours a week children may spend in such institutions; (3) whether attendance at a madrassah during school hours can justify a child's non-attendance at school; and (4) whether parents who send children to a madrassah can combine this with home tuition to avoid normal school attendance.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimates they have made of the number of children attending madrassahs; and whether this number is increasing.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Nash on 13 September (HL1358 and HL1359), whether they intend to publish a summary of the evidence they have received following their call for evidence on a possible new system of oversight for out-of-school education settings; and whether this evidence suggests concern about the impact of madrassahs on children's welfare.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following the recent concerns expressed by the Head of Ofsted about children being brought up in environments actively hostile to British values; and whether they consider that those concerns apply both to registered and unregistered schools, and other educational settings such as madrassahs.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government published a Counter Extremism Strategy in 2015, which set out plans to introduce a new system of oversight for out-of-school education settings – such as supplementary schools, tuition centres and madrassahs. The Strategy recognised that most of these settings can provide useful support to children, but also noted that the lack of oversight of these settings, and limited information about the practices within them, illustrating the risks of them being exploited by extremists. Local councils have an overarching responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area, regardless of where they are educated. It is for them to assess whether the threshold for intervention is met in the case of an individual child taking account of the impact and influence of environmental factors. However, wherever local councils have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm they are under a duty to investigate. Local councils should make whatever enquiries necessary to decide what, if any, action to take to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare. The police can, of course, investigate any reports that a crime has been committed in an out-of-school education setting. National statistics are not held on the number of madrassahs or children attending them but we are working closely with local councils to improve our understanding of the range of out-of-school education settings. Children are not required to attend school. Parents have a right to educate their children at home but must provide a suitable full-time education if the child is of compulsory school age. Parents who home educate must ensure that their child receives efficient, full-time education suitable to the child's age, ability and aptitude, and any special educational needs the child may have. They are not, however, required to, observe school hours, days or terms. Parents are not obliged to provide the teaching themselves and may access services from other providers, including out-of-school education settings, but the responsibility for ensuring that their child receives a suitable education and is properly safeguarded, remains with them. The Department ran a call for evidence on out-of-school education settings, inviting interested education providers, local councils, other organisations and individuals to help us broaden our evidence base. We will publish our analysis of responses in due course. All schools have a duty to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We are supporting schools to meet their obligations to protect pupils from radicalisation, and to help them build pupils’ resilience to extremism through knowledge and critical skills so they can question information, weigh arguments, and make reasoned judgments. Ofsted have strengthened their inspection frameworks so that inspectors assess how well schools protect pupils from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and promote fundamental British values. We work closely with Ofsted to investigate allegations of extremism in schools and take appropriate action to ensure pupils are safeguarded from extremist and intolerant views.

Out-of-school Education

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Nash on 18 September (HL1354, HL1355, HL1356 and HL1357), whether they will consider collecting data on unregistered schools; what assessment they have made of Ofsted's estimate that 6,000 children are being educated in such schools; and why no prosecutions have been made of those found by Ofsted to be operating such schools when it is a criminal offence to do so.

lord agnew of oulton: Data on unregistered schools would be for Ofsted to collect, as it has the powers to investigate the criminal offence of operating an unregistered independent school. However, as Lord Nash explained in his previous answer, Ofsted will publish its next annual report later this year, which we understand will contain their latest data. It is important to distinguish between unregulated settings and unregistered schools. It is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered independent school (that is to say, full-time independent schools which meet the criteria to register but have not done so). Unregulated settings that are not schools, such as part time settings for example, are not unregistered schools. We do not believe that the number of children being educated in unregistered schools is as high as may previously have been thought. Ofsted did not include in last year’s report a figure for the number of children in the unregistered schools that they had discovered. Of the cases that Ofsted has investigated, nearly all have ceased to operate unlawfully. Ofsted are continuing to investigate a small number of cases that have not yet complied and we are continuing to work closely with Ofsted on these cases.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates' Courts: Newcastle upon Tyne

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to theWritten Answer by Lord Keen of Elie (HL1527), wherein Newcastle magistrates'court proceedings will be held following the proposed relocation of civil and family court proceedings to the Civic Centre; and when this relocationwill occur.

lord keen of elie: Subject to concluding the movement of work to the Civic Centre, the Combined Court Centre in Newcastle will be reconfigured to become the Criminal Justice Centre. HM Courts & Tribunals Service plans to commence hearing magistrates’ work at the Criminal Justice Centre by the end of 2020.

Legal Services Board: Public Appointments

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 27 April (HL6891), when they will commence the appointment process for the position of chair of the Legal Services Board which will became vacant at the end of April.

lord keen of elie: The post of the Chair of the Legal Services Board was advertised on the Cabinet Office’s website for public appointment vacancies on Thursday 19 October.

Department of Health

Nutrition: Children and Young People

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actionthey are takingto promote healthy eating among children and young people.

lord o'shaughnessy: Change4Life is Public Health England’s flagship behaviour change social marketing campaign. It encourages families across England to ‘eat well and move more’. The campaign uses a variety of tools to provide advice and ideas to help children eat healthily. The Change4Life Sugar Smart and Be Food Smart apps, for example, allow users to scan the bar code of more 100,000 products to see at a glance how much sugar, salt and saturated fat they contain. So far there have been over three million downloads of these apps. Since its launch, more than four million people have signed up to Change4Life and it now has more than 200 national partners. In 2016, the Government’s Eatwell Guide was distributed to all primary, secondary and independent schools in England, which included middle, junior, infant and first schools. Start4Life also helps pregnant mums-to-be and parents of babies aged zero to five to adopt healthy behaviours that give their babies and young children the best start in life.

Patients: Disability

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in view of the requirement from NHS England for health and social care organisations to collect information on patients' sexual orientation in order to comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, whether they intend to introduce a requirement to ask patients whether they consider themselves disabled; and if not, why not.

lord o'shaughnessy: All health bodies and local authorities with responsibility for adult social care are required under the Equality Act (2010) to ensure that no patient is discriminated against. The sexual orientation information standard is designed to help NHS bodies be compliant with the law by collecting, only where relevant, personal details of patients such as race, sex and sexual orientation. In relation to other protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010), a scoping exercise is currently underway to consider the feasibility of a Unified Information Standard which would also cover disability as a protected characteristic.

Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the risks and benefits of new vaccinations are assessed; and who is responsible for that assessment.

lord o'shaughnessy: All new vaccines that are to be marketed in the United Kingdom require a Marketing Authorisation issued either by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK national competent authority, or by the European Commission. Applications for Marketing Authorisations for any new medicine, including vaccines, must contain data on the quality, safety and efficacy of the medicinal product. In the case of vaccines, information on the safety and immunogenicity of the antigenic components of the candidate vaccine in the target population must be provided. These data are assessed by MHRA and, where applicable, the European Medicines Agency. This information is fully evaluated to establish the efficacy and safety of the medicinal product, and to ensure that the balance of the expected benefits and potential risks is favourable. Safety evaluation of vaccines continues in the post-licensing period and throughout the life-cycle of the product. An independent external review of the authorisation of new medicines, including vaccines, is provided by the Commission on Human Medicines and its Expert Advisory Groups, which advises the MHRA and Ministers on the safety, efficacy and quality of medicinal products. The members of the Commission are appointed by Ministers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), another independent expert advisory committee and statutory body, advises the Government on matters relating to vaccination and immunisation. The JCVI advises the Government on all changes to the national vaccination programme, including on the introduction of new vaccines. The JCVI reviews evidence on the potential health benefits and the safety of vaccines when developing its advice. The JCVI keeps all UK vaccination programmes under review, including regular updates from the MHRA on vaccine associated adverse events reported in the UK.

Opiates: Misuse

lord patel of bradford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the increases in the number of opioid-related deaths, what consideration they have given to the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs supporting the use of opioid substitution treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has considered the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ (ACMD’s) advice carefully and set out a range of work it is taking forward to address it in its response published in July.For people to achieve and sustain freedom from drug dependence, the Government recognises the need for high quality treatment interventions as well as wider recovery support, including stable employment and housing, to enable people to build and maintain their recovery and live a life free from drugs. The ACMD’s recommendations and the findings of its published evidence review have informed the current and future work programme of Public Health England (PHE) in relation to supporting the quality of Opioid Substitution Therapy. PHE is also developing guidance, in partnership with NHS England, to support local areas to effectively meet the needs of people with co-existing mental health and substance misuse problems, which it is planning to publish this year.As we continue with the implementation of the Drug Strategy published this summer, the advice of the ACMD will be fundamental to informing our approach and the Government will continue to seek its valuable input and advice.

Pregnancy

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of pregnancies they estimate are unplanned; and what assessment they have made of the relationship between unplanned pregnancies and the high-risk period for blood folate levels and closure of the neural tube at 27 days of gestation.

lord o'shaughnessy: It has been estimated that between 2010 and 2012, 55% of pregnancies in Britain were planned, approximately 16% were unplanned, and 29% were categorised as ‘ambivalent’. The Government has not made an assessment of the relationship between unplanned pregnancies and the high risk period for blood folate levels and closure of the neural tube.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to increase access to Managed Payment to Landlord Alternative Payment Arrangements for private tenants who have difficulty budgeting on a monthly basis.

baroness buscombe: We have introduced an initiative to make our work coaches “Housing Confident”. Housing Confident means Work Coaches are better able to identify claimants who may be experiencing housing pressure. It also focusses on how work coaches support our claimants and introduce Alternative Payment Arrangements, including Managed Payment to Landlords where necessary.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Environment Protection

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking, in co-operation with relevant authorities, to ensure that farming and land management are focused on securing environmental enhancement and regeneration.

lord gardiner of kimble: England’s Rural Development Programme allocates around £3bn to improving the environment between 2014 and 2020. Agri-environment schemes are voluntary agreements that provide payments to farmers and land managers to manage their land in an environmentally sensitive way. Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We will design new policies which benefit British agriculture, countryside and the environment specifically and provide better value for money to the taxpayer. The Government is committed to working with others to devise a new agri-environment system which will support farmers and other land managers to deliver environmental benefits.

Arable Farming

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to improve arable productivity and efficiency.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government wants to see an efficient, productive and competitive domestic farming industry able to grow more, sell more and export more British food. The latest round of funding under the Rural Development Programme for England includes £120 million for targeted investments that improve farm productivity, including new buildings and machinery. Defra is also funding four Genetic Improvement Network programmes, at a cost of over £1 million per year. This research aims to boost the productivity and performance of major UK crop varieties; for example, through more efficient growth, reduced environmental impact and greater economic potential. As we leave the EU, we have the chance to design a new approach to agricultural policy which supports further productivity gains through innovation, technology and skills. AHDB (cereals) is a levy funded body that commissions research and development in the arable sector.

Pesticides: EU Action

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission and European Parliament about risk management when approving or banning insecticides, herbicides and fungicides since June 2010.

lord gardiner of kimble: Under a legal framework settled in 2009, decisions on whether to approve the marketing and use of active substances used in insecticides, herbicides and fungicides are taken by the European Commission under a procedure that involves technical specialists in working groups and Member States’ participation in decision-making. The approval process has two main stages. The first, run by the European Food Safety Authority, is a scientific assessment of the potential risks to people and to the environment. UK scientists participate in this work. The second is a discussion between the European Commission and the Member States on the management of risk and the approval decision. Again, the UK participates fully in this work. The European Parliament does not have a role in the approval process and the government has not had discussions with the European Parliament on this issue.

Home Office

Immigration

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount of general taxation has been used to fund (1) border, (2) immigration, and (3) citizenship services, in each quarter since 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: The cost of any activity not met by income from fees is met by funding provided by HM Treasury. Information on Departmental income and expenditure by business activity is published in the Annual Home Office Report and Accounts. These can be found in the attached document.  



Annual Report-pages 82/101/94/81/116/136/115
(Word Document, 546 KB)

Department for Exiting the European Union

EURATOM

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister’s proposal for a two-year period of implementation after the UK leaves the EU encompasses the Euratom Treaty.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their understanding that nuclear co-operation agreements concluded between Euratom and third countries would continue to apply to the UK for the duration of any post-Brexit implementation period.

baroness anelay of st johns: The Government believes a strictly time-limited implementation period is in the interests of both the UK and the EU. The Government is proposing that any implementation period should be based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations, and is assessing the full range of options for an implementation period including any legal or practical issues. These considerations include the scope of any period and the impact on issues such as agreements, both existing and post exit, with third countries.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; and if not, why not.

lord ashton of hyde: It is necessary to carefully prioritise resources towards those Conventions that will have the most impact on the safeguarding of our heritage, such as recent ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property. However, the Government fully recognises the contribution that the UK's oral traditions, social practices and festive events make to the country's cultural fabric, and continues to encourage communities to celebrate these practices and to continue them for future generations.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Carpets

lord palmer: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker why the carpet has been removed from the Cholmondeley Room; whether it will be replaced; and if so, when.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.The carpet in the Cholmondeley Terrace marquee was replaced with oak wooden flooring during the summer recess. This change was made alongside other improvements to the structure, including installing air conditioning and lining the roof space to improve insulation. These improvements were necessary to enhance the customer experience and reduce on-going repair costs.The carpet in the Cholmondeley Room itself has not been altered.